Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

Heavy hearts

Chapter: Heavy Hearts

The next morning, the air in the house felt thicker, as if it had absorbed the weight of everything they hadn’t said. Y/N woke up quietly, her body stiff from sleeping on the couch, the blanket Billie had tucked around her still clinging to her like a safety net. She didn’t want to get up. Didn’t want to face the world again, even if it was just this house and the people she loved. It all felt… too heavy.

Billie was in the kitchen, making breakfast, while Finneas sat at the dining table, absently scrolling through his phone. He hadn’t slept much last night, and it showed in the dark circles under his eyes. He kept glancing toward Y/N, waiting for her to say something, to look at him, to acknowledge that she was here with them. But she didn’t.

She sat there, still and small, the weight of her trauma pressing down on her chest like a vice. She wanted to feel safe again. She wanted to feel normal, like she could just sit at the table, laugh at one of Finneas’ stupid jokes, and eat breakfast with her siblings without feeling the crushing fear that seemed to follow her everywhere. But none of that felt possible anymore. She wasn’t sure it ever would again.

Billie walked over with a plate of toast and eggs, setting it down in front of Y/N. “You should try to eat something,” she said softly, her voice laced with concern. “It’s been a few days since you’ve had more than a few bites.”

Y/N stared at the plate, her stomach churning at the thought of eating. She wanted to say something, but her voice felt trapped in her throat, too tight and fragile to push past the fear that gripped her. She knew Billie was worried. They both were. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t force herself to be what they needed her to be. Not right now.

Finneas looked up from his phone, his eyes meeting Billie’s for a brief second before they both turned their attention back to Y/N. The silence was suffocating.

Billie sat down next to her, gently brushing a strand of hair behind Y/N’s ear. “Hey, it’s okay,” she whispered. “You don’t have to force yourself. We’ll take it slow.”

Y/N nodded, but her eyes stayed glued to the table. She could feel the concern radiating off them, but she didn’t know how to respond. Everything felt wrong. She felt wrong.

“I—” Y/N’s voice cracked, barely a whisper. “I’m sorry.”

Finneas’ head snapped up at her words, his eyes filled with a mix of shock and sadness. “Why are you sorry?” he asked, his voice gentle but strained.

“I’m... broken,” Y/N’s voice trembled, her fingers twisting the edge of the blanket around her. “I don’t know how to be okay again.”

The words came out so softly, they felt like they could break with the weight of them. And yet, they hung in the air, heavy and sharp, slicing through the fragile silence between them. Billie’s eyes immediately filled with tears, but she blinked them away, trying to stay strong for Y/N.

Finneas stood up and moved toward her, but when Y/N flinched slightly, he froze, pain flashing across his face. He backed off, his hands clenching into fists by his sides, frustration and helplessness boiling inside him.

“You’re not broken, Y/N,” Billie said softly, reaching out to hold her hand. “You’re just... healing. It’s going to take time.”

Y/N shook her head, her eyes filling with tears she had been trying so hard to hold back. “It doesn’t feel like healing. It feels like I’m sinking.”

Finneas swallowed hard, his throat tight as he forced his voice to stay steady. “You’re not sinking. I promise, you’re not.” He tried to believe his own words, but the truth was, seeing her like this felt like they were all sinking together, and he didn’t know how to pull any of them out.

Y/N finally lifted her head to look at them, her eyes hollow and tired. “What if... what if I never feel normal again?” Her voice cracked, the tears spilling over, and she quickly wiped them away, ashamed of her weakness.

Billie squeezed her hand tighter. “You will,” she whispered. “But even if you don’t feel normal for a while, we’ll be here with you. Every step. Every day. You don’t have to do this alone.”

Y/N broke then, her body trembling as she let out a sob that had been building inside her for weeks. Billie immediately pulled her into her arms, rocking her gently as Y/N clung to her like a lifeline. She buried her face into Billie’s shoulder, her sobs shaking her fragile body.

Finneas watched from across the room, his heart shattering as he saw his little sister break apart in front of him. He wanted to help, to hold her too, but he knew she wasn’t ready for that. It killed him, the distance between them, but he wouldn’t push her. He couldn’t. Not after everything.

Billie’s own tears slipped down her cheeks as she held Y/N, whispering soft reassurances into her hair. “It’s okay... let it out. You’re safe here. We’ve got you.”

Y/N cried harder, her pain finally spilling out in raw, aching sobs. “I don’t feel safe anywhere,” she whispered through her tears. “Not even here.”

Finneas’ heart twisted painfully in his chest at her words, and he had to turn away for a moment, wiping at his own eyes. The guilt, the helplessness—it was all-consuming. He felt like he had failed her. Like they both had.

Billie just held Y/N tighter, her voice cracking as she spoke. “I know, baby. I know. But we’re going to make it safe again. We’ll do whatever it takes.”

The minutes dragged on, filled with nothing but Y/N’s broken sobs and Billie’s whispered words. Eventually, Y/N’s tears slowed, her body exhausted from the emotional outpouring. She leaned against Billie, drained and empty, as if all the fight had been sucked out of her.

Finneas sat back down at the table, his head in his hands, feeling utterly powerless. He couldn’t bear to see Y/N like this. He couldn’t bear to see Billie trying so hard to hold everything together when it felt like the world was falling apart around them.

After a long silence, Y/N finally spoke, her voice so quiet it was barely audible. “I miss feeling like me.”

Finneas lifted his head, his eyes filled with tears he hadn’t let fall. “You’re still you, Y/N. No matter what’s happened, you’re still our sister. And we’ll do everything we can to help you feel that again.”

Y/N didn’t respond. She didn’t know if she believed him. But she wanted to. So badly.